On April 19, 2023 two One Challenge workers shared a presentation on "Building Research Skills: Leading and Learning" at the Mission Information Worker Virtual Conference. Useful resources were shared for building research skills.
In addition to the slide deck, downloadable here, downloadable here, two useful websites were highlighted.
The OC Learning Center strives to produce effective and relevant training so that harvesters are fully prepared and equipped for every good work that the Lord has prepared. Several of these free online courses are about research. Although the heading says "Finding Your Way with OC Research" much of the training is broadly applicable, such as "The Biblical Basis for Research" or "Spiritual Warfare" found in Level One or "An Overview of the Research Process" in Level Two.
You can review all ten of our course offerings at https://oclearningcenter.org. If you want to take a course, register as our guest. One of our instructors will accompany you as learn.
Looking for some training that you are not finding? Send us an email, and we will try to connect you with the training you desire. Also consider the research mentoring services we provide.
What are the training needs of South Africa’s Christian leadership? The need for training Church leaders in South Africa has been apparent for many years, but an accurate and comprehensive picture of the needs facing Christian leaders across South Africa has previously never been adequately researched… until now!
A Cry for Intimacy documents the responses from 800 South African pastoral leaders. OC workers in South Africa helped facilitate this extensive research project conducted by TOPIC (Trainers of Pastors International Coalition) Southern Africa involves ten years of scientifically verifiable research. Authors Willie Botha, David Bulger and Karl Teichert provide vital information for the future of the church in South Africa. It answers a number of key questions, including what gaps exist and what urgent needs face Christian leaders in various locations, denominations and cultural segments. It lays a critical foundation for addressing these needs and provides stimulus for further research.
The surprising discovery of the research was that the greatest felt need of South African Church leaders was intimacy with God. This was mentioned twice as often as the next felt need.
A nine part online introduction to research is offered through the OC Learning Center. This course is recommended for all new OC field missionaries and is also open to other workers.
Research is foundational to OC’s stated organizational strategy: “Using Research, Motivation and Training we Mobilize the Christian leaders to reach their nations and beyond.” OC believes that the primary outcome of research is to provide a basis for decision making for a team ministry to the church and for carrying out the other three categories of our strategy: motivation, training, and mobilization. Research is intricately and fundamentally interwoven with team ministries on the field and even with individual ministry opportunities.
Determining the Average Annual Growth Rates for a church or a group of churches in a region allows us to establish where the Church is growing, either in the number of believers or number of churches, and where it is not. In other words, the AAGRs establish the FACTS of Church growth; but the Church Growth Analyst also wants to understand the FACTORS causing this growth or decline. To determine the FACTORS, further investigation is needed.
In the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, the worker to Population Ratio was a statistic often used evaluate of how "engaged" a non Christian population was.
Describing how to do data analysis is not easy. There is really no recipe to follow. There are some basic techniques and principles to learn. There are some pitfalls to avoid. But beyond that there is just the task of careful and meticulous thought and imagination. There is no formula for that.
It is important, at this stage, to recruit the help and opinions of insiders in the population under study. Their observations will come from the world-view of the respondents. This may yield explanations quite different from those of an outsider.
Sampling is used in some research projects and it is important to get this critical part of a research project done as well as possible. Some basic concepts of sampling will be covered here.
The OC Learning Center strives to produce effective and relevant training so that harvesters are fully prepared and equipped for every good work that the Lord has prepared. Several of these free online courses are about research. Although the heading says "Finding Your Way with OC Research" much of the training is broadly applicable, such as "The Biblical Basis for Research" or "Spiritual Warfare" found in Level One or "An Overview of the Research Process" in Level Two. 
What are the training needs of South Africa’s Christian leadership? The need for training Church leaders in South Africa has been apparent for many years, but an accurate and comprehensive picture of the needs facing Christian leaders across South Africa has previously never been adequately researched… until now!
